Flavouring found in e-cigarettes linked to 'popcorn lung'

ConclusionThis study shows three chemicals reportedly linked to serious lung damage are present in many flavoured e-cigarettes in the US, raising concerns about their safety. Although the study tested US brands, it's likely similar findings would be found here in the UK, where e-cigarettes are similarly unregulated.However, this issue is not black and white. The researchers' concerns have been rightly raised, and their conclusion that urgent research needs to follow this study seems logical given the apparent lack of knowledge in this area. Still, much of the potential health risk and alarm factor of this study hangs on the strength of previous reports suggesting these chemicals can cause lung damage. But this particular study didn't address this directly. We don't yet know whether these chemicals, in their vaporised forms and inhaled at the levels typical in e-cigarettes, cause any lung damage.This study simply looked at how often the three chemicals were detected in e-cigarettes, assuming a link with potential lung damage from other studies that were not appraised here. What we really need is more information on the potential causal link between these chemicals and lung disease, particularly the doses at which any damage might occur, which may or may not be present in e-cigs. Many e-cigarette users may be asking themselves whether they should stop vaping. This study only provides indirect evidence of a risk linking chemicals in e-cigarettes to lung disease, ...

Authors: Snijder J, Peraza J, Padilla M, Capaccione K, Salvatore MM
Abstract
Introduction: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relentless form of fibrotic lung disease with a median survival of approximately 3 years after diagnosis and a mortality rate that surpasses that of many types of cancer. The pathophysiology of IPF is complex as there are likely different stages of disease occurring simultaneously in the lung. Areas covered: Some scientists consider IPF as primarily an epithelial driven disease in which dysfunctional surfactant-producing cells take an etiological precedent. Others focus on the augmente...

This study involved patients from the North-East Indian population, where the numbers of reported cases are increasing rapidly and alarmingly. Oxidative stress, based on 8-OH-dG levels, was found to be significantly higher in gallbladder anomalies (cholelithiasis [CL] and cholecystitis [CS]) and GBC at the plasma and DNA level, and was associated with GBC severity. The expressions of key BER pathway genes were downregulated in gallbladder anomalies and GBC compared to controls, and in GBC compared to both non-neoplastic controls and gallbladder anomalies. Expression of XRCC1 and hOGG1 was significantly associated with both...

Conclusions: A large number of mouse and rat cognitive testing measures have been reported for a variety of particle species and energies for acute doses. However tissue reactions occur above dose thresholds and very few studies were performed at the heavy ion doses to be encountered on space missions (

Publication date: Available online 23 May 2019Source: Life SciencesAuthor(s): Huanxiang Jia, Ming Xu, Yan Bo, Wenxiao Li, Runhe ZhouAbstractAimsExtracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) is a key downstream gene of Ras pathway. Activation of Ras-ERK1/2 has been testified to be linked to the progression of diverse cancers. Nonetheless, whether Ras-ERK1/2-tumorigenic pathway is mediated by epigenetic factors remains indistinct. The purpose of the research attempted to disclose the functions of H2BK5ac in Ras-ERK1/2-evoked CRC cell phenotypes.Materials and methodsWestern blot assay was implemented for exp...

ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that there are novel HPVs present in oral rinse samples that may be associated with OCC and OPC. These novel HPVs can be identified and characterized using NGS techniques.

Publication date: September 2019Source: Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, Volume 55Author(s): Nasim Zamani, Hossein Hassanian-Moghaddam, Hooman Bahrami-Motlagh, Sara Ahmadi, Scott PhillipsAbstractObjectivesOur study attempts to determine if for patients following ingestion of lead-contaminated opium, radiographs [plain X-ray (KUB)] or unenhanced computed tomography (CT scan) of the abdomen may be predictive of lead poisoning.MethodsOur study is concerned with patients of>21 years with elevated lead concentrations, who had undergone KUB or CT. Patients with other toxicities who had undergone similar imag...